Hello India! We have some eminent female personalities in our magnificent and rich historical legacy. India’s development has been enriched by the contributions of women in almost every aspect.
In recent years, Indian female athletes have contributed greatly to the Indian sports industry. Every Indian sportswoman is a powerful inspiration for all of us out there!
Indian female athletes have taken the country’s flag to new heights in recent years! This is a wonderful example of ‘women empowerment’.
Many of them have truly battled their way to achieve their milestone! And through their journey, they are empowering millions of women nationwide.
Indian sports have experienced a tremendous increase in the number of female athletes who have excelled on the world stage. Here are our top picks for the top 15 Indian Sports Women who have truly made our nation proud.
1. Geeta & Babita Phogat
You must already know them by now. The Bollywood biopic ‘Dangal’ released in December 2016 has put their success story in the limelight.
The Phogat sisters are the most famous sportswomen in India. Geeta and Babita are the daughters of former wrestler and coach Mahavir Singh Phogat.
Geeta and Babita have won gold medals in separate weight categories at the Commonwealth Games.
The Phogat family sisters’ accomplishment has caught significant media attention due to the societal difficulties in Haryana, including gender inequity, female feticides, and child marriage.
2. Deepika Kumari
Some arrows are destined to hit the bullseye! Deepika Kumari is India’s first and best female archer. She bagged two gold medals and two silver medals in the World Archery Championships in 2011 and 2015.
Many sports analysts believe that she possesses the qualities to become the second individual Olympic gold medalist, following Abhinav Bindra.
The Government of India has also honored her with the Arjuna and Padma Shri awards. That is indeed a significant honor!
3. Sania Mirza
Are you a tennis fan? Sania Mirza is an inspiration for all the tennis fans out there. She is the most successful Indian female tennis player of all time.
Sania Mirza is one of the finest Indian female tennis players. She was listed in the top 30 in Women’s Singles.
Sania has defeated top-10 tennis players, namely Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, and Martina Hingis, in singles tennis during her heyday in 2007.
Sania has been also awarded the Arjuna, Padma Shri, Khel Ratna, and Padma Bhushan honors for her remarkable contribution to the Indian tennis scenario.
Sania Mirza has won six Grand Slams, which include three in Mixed Doubles, and two of those were shared with Mahesh Bhupati. There’s so much to highlight and be proud of!
4. Saina Nehwal
If you ever search for ‘top three badminton players in India’, you’ll happen to find her in the list. Yes! Saina Nehwal is well-known as the Indian badminton’s golden girl.
Did you know? She proudly holds gold medals in the Swiss Open Grand Prix, Thai Open Grand Prix, and Indonesian Open Super Series.
Moreover, she has won a bronze in the Olympics too. Saina Nehwal has won over 20 international and Super Series titles to date, and she has held her name in the top 20 rankings for over a decade.
Saina has also won a gold at the Commonwealth Games, and silver and bronze medals in the World Badminton Championships. There’s also a Bollywood biopic on her life starring Parineeti Chopra.
5. Mary Kom
You must have already seen the biopic starring Priyanka Chopra as the Manipuri wrestling fame Mary Kom! She is known as the flyweight fighter and has bagged a long list of achievements.
Mary has won the Amateur World Boxing Championship five long times. She is also a member of the Rajya Sabha. Mary Kom is the first amateur boxer to be honored with the Padma Bhushan Award.
She received a nomination to represent India in the XXI Commonwealth Games. Such a matter of pride for the nation!
6. PV Sindhu
Here is another exemplary badminton sportsperson you should know about! PV Sindhu from Hyderabad.
Sindhu has won various badminton competitions, including the Asian Championship, World Championship, All England Open, India Open Grand Prix Gold, and Commonwealth Games.
She reached the pinnacle of her career at the 2016 Olympic Games, securing a silver medal for India.
Sindhu was selected as the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year in March 2020. PV Sindhu has been bestowed with the prestigious honors of the Arjuna Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan, establishing herself as one of India’s most esteemed female athletes.
7. Dipa Karmarkar
Next on the list we have, Dipa Karmakar, another outstanding famous Indian sportswoman.
Dipa has represented India internationally through gymnastics. Dipa Karmarkar stands in the top five renowned gymnasts who have attempted ‘Produnova’, one of the toughest vaults in gymnastics.
She has also represented India in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2015 Asian Gymnastics Championships, the 2016 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, and the 2016 Olympics.
Dipa has been proudly honored with Padma Shri and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards.
8. Mithali Raj
Mithali Raj is one of the most famous female cricketers in India. She is India’s all-time-favorite cricketer because of her impressive batting skills.
Mithali achieved the milestone of being the first Indian woman in 20 years to bat as a right-handed bats-woman in international cricket. Isn’t that a masterstroke?
She is a true inspiration for all female athletes and will keep making our nation proud!
9. Jhulan Goswami
Jhulan Goswami reigns as a true titan of the cricketing realm. She has been in the game for 15 long years!
Jhulan is known as one of the fastest bowlers in Indian Women’s Cricket with a speed of 128 km/h. She also carries the ICC Women’s Player of the Year title in 2007. How’s that?
After being promoted as the captain of the national squad, she was also awarded with Arjuna award and Padma Shri.
10. Sakshi Malik
Are you a freestyle wrestler fan? If so, we have got one such wrestler on the list.
Indian freestyle wrestler Sakshi Malik secured the bronze medal in the 58 kg wrestling event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
She attained victory in the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow and claimed the Asian Wrestling Championship title in Doha in 2015.
Sakshi is a #EveryWomanStrong advocate and also a member of the ‘Colors Delhi Sultans.’
11. Anju Bobby George
Anju has been a promising athlete and has won the long jump and high jump events since her school days.
In 2002, Anju won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, as well as the Asian Games.
She also secured gold at the Asian Championships in 2005 and the South Asian Games in 2006. Anju is honored by Rajiv Khel Ratna Award, Padma Shri and Arjuna Award.
12. Hima Das
Hima Das, an Assamese sprinter, achieved the national record for 400 meters by running in 50.7 seconds, at the Asian Games in 2018.
You’ll be amazed to know that she is the first Indian female athlete to win a gold medal at the IAAF World U20 Championships in a track event.
Hima was more inclined to sprinting. She received the Arjuna Award from India’s President in 2018.
Hima Das has triumphed against all odds, becoming a matter of pride for India in the face of adversity.
13. Dutee Chand
We have another sprinter on the list. Dutee Chand participated in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro and the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
She set a record by running 100 meters in just 11.32 seconds and became the first Indian sprinter to win gold at the World University Games in 2019.
Dutee Chand has freely disclosed her sexuality as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Despite many controversies and challenges, this sports icon is still an inspiration for many.
14. Karnam Malleshwari
Apart from lifting weights, Karnam Malleshwari has also lifted up various medals for India. She is the first Indian woman to win a medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
She won the World Championships, Asian Weightlifting Championships, and 29 international medals in 1994, including 11 gold medals. Weightlifting was not really an ideal sport in Karnam Malleshwari’s native.
However, her story has made every Indian woman break the chains and shine!
15. Bula Chowdhury
Defying the odds of the time and poverty to become the world swimming champion, Bula Chowdhury has come a long way.
She has captured national, international, and even English Channel swimming medals. Also, Bula has been honored with the Arjuna Award, the Padmashri Award, and the Tenzing Norgay lifetime adventure sports award.
In 2006, Bula entered politics and won her seat in the legislative assembly.
The Finish Line
So there you have it: the remarkable top 15 Indian female athletes who have commendably represented our nation. These renowned Indian sportswomen inspire young girls and women across the nation as role models.
Together, let’s ignite inspiration in the next generation of superstars, guiding them to follow the path of these pioneering athletes!
Written by Ashay Chandekar from Deshpee. Images have the copyrights of the respective sources.
